PORT ANGELES — A man who was shot in the face with a .22 caliber rifle Monday evening was treated and discharged and is recovering, the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office said today.
Jacob Griffith, 33, was shot in the cheek at about 7:40 p.m.
His roommate, Keith Berlin, 54, was arrested for investigation of second-degree attempted murder and taken to the Clallam County jail, according to a statement from the Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies and detectives obtained a search warrant and recovered the rifle and other evidence from the residence at 513 S. Alder Lane, in unincorporated area east of the Port Angeles city limit.
He was also arrested for investigation of unlawful possession of a firearm.
Berlin has not yet been formally charged.
Dozens of law enforcement cars flooded the area of the 500 block of Alder Lane, south of U.S. Highway 101 in Morse Creek canyon, on Monday night.
The Sheriff’s Office said today that an argument erupted between Griffith and Berlin when one interrupted a phone call of the other — though it was unclear who was on the phone.
“Berlin left the living area where the argument occurred and returned with the single-shot rifle and shot Griffith,” Chief Criminal Deputy Ron Cameron said in the statement.
“Griffith was able to escape and ran to a neighbor’s house for help. It appears Berlin had been drinking.”
Sequim police, Port Angeles police, Washington State Patrol and U.S. Border Patrol units all assisted.
The entire section of Alder Lane was blocked off as deputies investigated.
A cloudy sky made for an even darker night as a light rain fell while deputies investigated the shooting.
The canyon neighborhood is made up mostly of manufactured and trailer homes.
Deputies wrapped crime scene tape around the yards of three houses surrounding the one where the shooting occurred.
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Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at paige.dickerson@peninsuladailynews.com.
